A Midsummer Night's Dream
by PONITAPG
Summary: They live in an enchanted town surrounded by magic,hunters and forbidden love. This fancy paradise is the reason why Artemis is losing her mind, Richard is head over heals for the blonde archer and Wally loves Artemis. It is only explanation to the confusing ocurrences happening lately.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** ok just bare with me for a sec. I REUPLOADED. I had kind of an idea to make this story somewhat different and realistic. SOMEHOW! so just read and enjoy! leave a comment likin' hatin' doesn't matter. Its a free world peoples

Special thanks to **randommokeyz998** that always review my stories and keeps me writing this one for instance :P

**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Wally West, Artemis Crock, Richard Grayson,Zatanna, Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen, Princess Diana of Themyscira, Dinah Lance

**Introduction**

An unknown chanting echoing softly bewitched the beauty of the forest. It was as if a mysterious force kept the moist breeze blowing and the dry leaves falling. Through the fog faint outlines of tiny yellow sparkles illuminated the place. The atmosphere lulled anyone into deep slumber unaware of the magic that existed on the place. No one crossed the place except for the people who would trust themselves enough.

Center of the town:

"Please arty you can't tell me you believe in magic" commented the adorable redheaded as he wrapped his strong arms around a lean blonde woman resting his chin on the crook of her neck.

"You're just in denial Wally, remember the first time we met you thought I was some sort of goddess or spirit or fairy I really can't tell what goes through that head of yours." The girl stated leaning into his embrace enjoying the presence of the young man.

He just held her for a long time twirling her ridiculously long hair in his index finger playfully as he recalled such adventure.

He wasn't supposed to be running away that day, but he was used to running away of everything, until he found her. She was also running away and he couldn't place what such a lovely lady could be doing at midnight at a deserted forest.

His conclusion was she was an illusion or maybe a demon, but as she neared him, her veil of blonde hair swooning with every cautious step she took, and her eyes hiding a slight curiosity that made her so real and vivid that he knew she was human.

They had been walking around the town in close proximity receiving the loathing and disapproving glares of most of the people. She knew she was engaged. Her adoptive father obliged her as well as their major authority, the duke. She was between two worlds and didn't have a choice.

She intended on telling him but she just couldn't find the strength. She loved him, but she couldn't risk herself in getting hurt or worse, getting him hurt.

So she just ignored, the pain, the denial, and the trust he so often begged. He would hate her if he knew who she was getting married to anyways. They kept walking until an elegant female figure approached them.

Artemis recognized her best friend immediately tugging off Wally's arms to embrace the black-haired, blue eyed girl. Wally smiled politely even as he awkwardly shuffled remembering how Artemis had violently shoved him away.

He was not a jealous man. Yea right. But this was her best friend; it wasn't as if he could get jealous of her. And he was just his best friend, nothing more.

Both girls walked arms clasped with each other, dresses dancing freely as they left Wally alone in the middle of the town plaza.

After walking for a few blocks Artemis finally broke the silence "So, have you heard about him?"

The pale skin girl closed her eyes as if trying to block a painful memory and managed to respond "I heard he's marrying you." Her words were soft almost whispered so she wouldn't appear bitter.

They stopped walking as they stared at each other. Both young ladies were masking their feelings through their fake smiles. Their eyes told the contrary. Artemis was about to talk again when the bells of the chapel started to ring. Loud trumpets welcomed the arrival of a well known man in their town. Cheerful screams and praising exclamations disturbed the peace hollering the name: "Richard Grayson!"


	2. Festival for two

Chapter 1

Among a crowd of exclamations and cheer two girls stood frozen in the middle of the plaza. They had been talking just minutes ago when they heard he was coming. They couldn't even hear each other's voices from the loud atmosphere surrounding them. The petite raven haired girl had her facial colors drained and her fragile hand reached for her companion. She felt cold against the warm, calloused hand of the blonde.

They knew he would soon spot the two girls. The crowd dispersed leaving a space for the horses to walk through. The tallest girl reached for her hair raking her fingers through it nervously. She knew she couldn't confront both of the boys right now.

As if reading her thoughts the red headed male approached both girls gleefully. "Dick's here, finally!" he yelled happily chuckling a little at the end. Artemis couldn't stand it anymore. She knew she was blushing, and she was a terrible liar. "Got to go… I think dad must be worried by now" She said disappearing from the view of both confused teenagers.

"So, Zatanna… want to come greet our friend with me?" he asked feeling a bit awkward without his blonde companion. "A-actually I think my dad is already looking for me, you know how he is…" She excused herself nervously and quickly left the boy standing alone.

He couldn't take the time to ponder why both girls ran away just when Richard was about to arrive. They all knew each other but he was oblivious to the girl's relationship with his best friend.

At that same moment a dark haired pale skinned boy approached him sneakily. He had evaded the crowd easily. He didn't even like that much attention. It was true he was the adoptive son of the duke but he didn't want to be known just by his family ties.

Unfortunately the redheaded wasn't that much distracted as he appeared because when Richard approached Wally turned around surprising him instead.

"So I see you've been practicing your ninja skills" the younger boy chuckled as he greeted his best friend with a fist bump. "Well yes in fact I've been practicing with someone I think would out master your abilities." replied the taller boy cockily. "Oh really, well who is this person?" asked Richard raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I think you know her, she's- Wally paused thinking of a word to describe how amazing he felt for her, how perfect she was, how he liked her- "my best friend." he finished smiling. "I hope I can meet her soon then" Richard smirked. Both boys were standing in the middle of the crowd until they felt the attention of the people was concentrated on them.

They started walking away from the commotion and began heading to Richard's house. He lived in the biggest mansion of the place. When Wally and Richard were kids they used to get lost on the immense garden full of foliage and trees.

They were now on the same garden climbing the biggest tree they could find. They used to do it frequently but now they hardly passed time together. Wally helped his uncle at home far away from Richard's own palace. Richard kept traveling far away either for hunting or for bringing new treasures for his father.

They both had become different from the little toothless adventurous rascals they used to be. "Will you come to the festival tonight?" Richard said interrupting the silence. "What?" Wally asked confused. "You know my father is getting married… he's celebrating a four-day festival before he marries Diana?" The blue eyed boy clarified. "Really?" Wally said confused while dangling his feet from the branch.

"Wally how could you forget I've been telling you this since I left." Richard said turning his eyes to glare at the teen on the branch below him. "Sorry I guess I've had too much in my mind." Wally said dreamily when he answered.

Richard smirked knowingly. "Is that true? Or has it been rather someone that's been on your mind" The older boy blushed furiously and stuttered "No-n- yea" he sighed defeated.

"Is this person the best friend you've talked about?" asked Richard. "I will go to the festival ok?" Wally said changing the subject. The smaller boy smiled and jumped expertly off the branch landing on his feet. "It's a masquerade maybe she will be there, I have some news to give to you too." He said without turning around and with that he left.

Wally watched intensely as the sun hid itself behind the dark green mountains. The sky was painted orange and his hair seemed to be lost in the scene. He smiled one last time and smoothly got off the branch.

-O-

Artemis looked at the blonde staring intently back at her. She held a disgusted expression and an uncomfortable dress adorned her curves. It had her eyes, her hair, but that wasn't Artemis. Artemis hated dresses, hated fancy hair styles and hated parties. She really hated parties the most.

She had to go, and she knew he would be there; maybe he would want to announce their engagement. The figure in the mirror covered her face with her hands exasperatedly. At least she could cover her face.

She arrived to the festival pointedly avoiding a redheaded male and a blue eyed millionaire. Her silky baby blue dress was like foam, flowing with every step she took. It fell above her toes and had tiny black buttons adorning the top parting her abdominal cavity in half. The bottom part was covered by layers of silky fabric in a clean straight design. Her chest was covered by a thin white ribbon adorned with delicate patterns at the end.

Her hair was down and her mask covered her misty gray eyes. She stood near a big willow tree at the garden. The ball had extended until there and the hosts were busy with other guests. It seemed perfect for her to be alone lighted only by the moon and occasionally some fireflies.

She looked carefully so no one approached her off guard. The girl shuffled her shoes and eyed them with disdain. She hated those shoes too.

Inside the mansion Wally had just arrived. He was anxiously searching for a gold sea of hair dancing somewhere in the room. His search failed. He knew she hated this things but she was obliged to come. Her father made sure.

The black haired girl from the plaza approached him. "Hey Zatanna?" he gently greeted her. "Um… have you seen Artemis?" she gave him a knowing smile but suddenly her eyes turned sad. "Haven't you heard?" She whispered. "Huh?" he said dumbfounded.

"She is engaged, she is probably with her fiancé" She looked down to her shiny shoes as she explained. He couldn't even stutter he was in shock; all the feelings couldn't pass through his head. He was mad at whoever had taken her away and mostly he was mad at her for not trusting him enough. Zatanna watched him pitifully.

"Be right back" he said shortly and exited towards the garden. He always ran away, as the day he met her and now he was running away from the truth. He would never have her. As he reached the garden he didn't notice a female figure almost dozing on the roots of the tree.

His face was red from anger; it wasn't until he stumbled into something and fell flat on someone pinning said person with his own weight. He felt the heat from his face increase and made a move to stand. The soft surface below his body made him realize it was a girl.

The folds of her dress covered her face and he apologized immediately. "Sorry I was not watching can I help you get up?" he said extending his hand and granting her a warm smile ignoring his past thoughts.

The girl on the floor tried covering her face with her dress and hair. Then he noticed her tan skin, soft pink lips and pure blonde locks but her eyes were covered by an almost transparent white mask. "A-Artemis?" His eyes were piercing into hers holding such intensity it made her crawl back.

He was blushing now for sure. Then he remembered he was mad. "Why did you do that to me!" he yelled pushing her instead of helping her up. She yelped as she fell flat on her butt. "Jerk" he heard her snarl. "You are the jerk" he looked her directly in the eyes with an expression that scared her.

Her first reaction was shock at his sudden frustration and anger at her. Then she realized he must have found out. She stood up cleaning her dress from the remaining dirt. "I tried to tell you." She answered softly.

"Liar!" he felt offended, he couldn't hide what he felt, betrayal, hurt, sadness, frustration, rejection, anger. She was angry at him too; he had insulted her without even asking how she felt about it all.

"Are you even my friend, or where you pretending this whole time, was it a jo-…" That did it she was livid. Her hands clenched tightly as she socked him in the jaw. His head turned back and he stopped yelling, he touched his chin confirming that the pain was there.

He stared at her and in a blink he tackled her forcefully. She yelped surprised and they both fell on the dirt. He had her pinned and was about to keep his rant when she hit him again and rolled their positions.

"Asshole!" She yelled holding back tears. "Traitor!" he said blocking a fist aimed to his eye. "Idiot!" she hit his shoulders straddling him. They didn't realize they had been rolling into the garden until they fell on a bush.

Wally ended on top of Artemis both of them panting tiredly and flustered. She looked sad and her eyes held melancholy if he saw carefully. His showed anger and deception and he froze on top of her. They had been wrestling pointlessly; this wouldn't change anything but at least had helped them release tension. He stopped for the first time and sighed deciding to confront the truth. Fate had driven him to her after all. So he collected his heart in five words "the truth is I think I love you."


	3. I love you

Chapter 2

She was pinned underneath his intense gaze not from his tight grip on her wrists. The black mask only highlighted his neon green eyes and she felt her insults stuck in her throat. Though, she was no damsel on distress; she could easily knock him down ten different ways from the position she was in. But as his green eyes dilated as he saw her and she froze.

Then she heard his soft husky whisper to her, his confession. He loved her. He was not thinking when he simply blurted out that. Wally took a few seconds to realize what he had just done. He had the daughter of one of the noblest men in town in a compromising position. He then remembered that if anyone caught him like this they would probably sentence him to death or worse … exile. She was from another man.

To him it was better dying loving than being lovesick, unable to just desire her smiles or simply know she was safe. Her blonde locks were now covered in mud and her sky blue dress felt so smooth in his rough calloused hands. He couldn't prevent his mind of thinking how smooth her skin felt too. How can someone so tough be so terse and fragile?

He knew he would miss her too much to let her go. He didn't want this to happen. Not after how he met her. Because when she appeared in that phantom forest she came like a soul searching for its counterpart, an angel, only for him. But fate had betrayed him and he was just denying the fact he had to let her go. Prolonging his hold on her he felt he made things better, because at that moment he wasn't reasoning he just existed because of her.

She couldn't hold his penetrating grassy green eyes, even with the mask hiding her own gray orbs so she tilted her head sideways avoiding him. The sound of her movement was heard so loud in the darkness of the night it woke him up of his train of thought.

He found his cheeks morphing into several red shades. His mouth suddenly opened making a tiny 'o'. She couldn't help but think how cute he looked when he made that surprised confused face. As if he had woken up from dreamland or came back from a journey to the moon.

Her gray eyes shot quickly towards him knowing that now that they were more conscious and their anger had ceased was time to confront whatever messed up relationship they had left. Her chest, suffocated by the tight corsage, rose and fell anxiously and she felt her oxygen disappearing. Besides his body was still pressed against hers and she couldn't hold a serious conversation like this.

She was about to sit up and clear his doubts when he kissed her fully thinking she was going to leave. In fact he wasn't thinking at all. He just acted. She just reacted. And it was then when they noticed their surroundings. Tiny fireflies flew in the pitch black night; dim light bathed the bush they were lying in. Her hearing, smell and feeling sensed augmented as well as his.

Being in contact with each other was the key to release whatever chain or pain they carried in the past. He lifted his head to look at her questioning if it was ok what they had just done. Her instincts yelled to push him, her body wanted to signal for her brain to stop and everything she knew begged her to remember her duties. But her feelings were stubborn, she was just a teen. She brushed her lips against his barely touching him.

He was so happy he couldn't hold it. She had kissed him back and even if it felt only like a tingling feathery wind in his lips it was still a kiss. A kiss from the most wild, exotic and rare flower found only if you searched in a desert. He was exposed to every penalty by the law if she let herself dream she could kiss him so blatantly. It was unthinkable because she wanted to protect him from her obligations, her family pressures, and her own cross.

He was about to kiss her back when she pushed him roughly. His reflexes worked almost automatically and he held her forcefully. She wanted to get away! Why? Was he a bad kisser? Had he eaten garlic? Then he heard her sob but it was so quiet that he thought he imagined it.

"let me go" She choked out shakily tears forming behind her black eyelashes not able to see him in the eyes. He couldn't understand her. She was like a two sided blade. But she had kissed him. They were best friends who had kissed the next step was other than tears and goodbyes.

But she wouldn't look at him. Then he heard dead leaves cracking, a figure came out of the shadows. His dark sapphire eyes held a cold and angry expression. They were covered by his ebony hair and a mask; he seemed rustled like he had been agitated. He stepped in the soft light and studied the scene.

His best friend had his fiancé pinned to the ground, her dress shaken, and rotten from the edges, blonde and red hair covered in mud, her chest struggling for breathe faint glimpses of sweat rolling through their bodies, and their cheeks painted red.

Wally couldn't even survey his best friend's fist aimed straight at his jaw. He tasted the metallic, warm liquid in his mouth as he let his best pal hit him over and over again. Crimson red stained the handsome redheaded as he laid on the obscure garden. Richard finally succeeded knocking Wally out and Artemis hadn't done anything. She just sat in her spot on the bush watching as the red headed boy got himself bruised by his own will.

It ended as everything in life ends. In the morning the court held the delicate case of intended assault to the daughter of Oliver Queen, the judges wanted the highest penalty. The whole trial had passed and the accused one remained silent, waiting, anticipating, hoping they granted him the favor of dying in love.

But fate hated him again and the remaining fragments of a relationship Richard and Wally held saved him. He was exiled. He wasn't granted his last petition of looking at her one last time. He was in a nightmare as he dreamt that night.

Artemis combed her long tresses hating herself for not reassuring him, she loved him too.

AN: SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. SCHOOL IS KILLING ME. SORRY IT WAS SO SHORT TOO :S ANYWAYS R&R!


	4. Alpha

Chapter 3

The sun felt warm on her rosy cheeks. The smell of fresh grass moistened the air as she felt tickling sensations near her nose and ears. Her atmosphere was blurry as she opened her eyes. A howling wind invaded her ears and felt her body fall into nothingness. Suddenly she felt the tickling grass again against her cheek.

She pushed herself with her elbows ignoring the painful headache in her temporal lobes. "Uhng" she groaned as she propped herself now with her palms elbows straight. Opening her eyes she could see a white coating covering the meadow. She gasped at the sight. A roaring wind took away the tiny seeds which flew around her. "Dandelions" she whispered to the wind marveled with the snowy like rain.

While enjoying the show she caught sight of a black haired man covered in a black coat, armed with bows, harpoons, darts, and several hunting gadgets. "Who is he?" She asked herself. Not meaning for someone to answer her she ran towards the man who was oblivious to her presence.

The ebony haired seemed to hear something deeper in the woods that followed from the meadow and ran to it. "Wait! You can't enter there, it is dangerous at night! Wait! please!" The blonde woman yelled but the wind whistled forcefully again swallowing her screams. She placed a finger to her lips deciding if she should follow him.

Lifting the heavy, puffy dress she didn't remember putting on she ran towards the mysterious hunter who disappeared in the woods.

-O-

Wally kept pacing in the forest aimlessly; he wasn't supposed to be there. It was still in the kingdom he was banished from. He could be killed if found. But he needed to feel nostalgic again. At least feel something. His green eyes fell to the dry leaves who danced with the wind magically.

What if this forest was enchanted after all? He wasn't suicidal but he met her here. That was all he cared right now. A memory he could hold on, and maybe he would forget her. "Artemis" He sobbed silently, his voice lost with the harsh wind.

He wouldn't forget her ever even if she didn't felt the same. She never answered him. The redheaded touched his lips remembering when she kissed him and he kissed her back passionately. A memory he wanted to erase.

A crunch distracted him from his thoughts thankfully. It was painful enough not to see her but to have to remember how she felt could go wrong.

Some leaves rustled and Wally shot his head to his side meeting with emptiness. This place was creepy enough for him to be imagining someone could be watching him, but still…

Shivers ran through his back as he felt another strange presence near him. A tall man armed to his toes pounced on him from a tall tree. Wally fell with a grunt spreading leaves creating commotion in the silent forest.

Wally recognized him though. "C-Conner?" and he had to stutter because this was just unbelievable. "Wally you can't be here, I hunt here. My. Side. Thought we had that clear from last time." The blue eyed man said off handedly. "What? How? You don't know about-? Why? Where were you, I mean you left like a year ago! ... Oh Duh!" The lean younger boy said slapping his forehead.

Conner simply raised an eyebrow and considered if questioning his rant or not caring as he always did. He decided to go with the usual and ignore his goofy friend. "Yeah, whatever just stay away you always steal my preys."

The redheaded stared dumbfounded and tried to talk but couldn't. Then out of the corner of his eyes he could see a blonde petite girl panting tiredly approaching to both of them. "You run fast rabbit" The girl gasped cheerfully clearly not noticing Wally's piercing look towards her.

"I must be watching visions, its true this demon forest is haunted I'm out" He whispered freaked out patting the hunter's cheek to see if he could go through it. Conner glared and held his hand away from his face. "Stop."

"Wow, real good ghosts, technology advanced I see" He said still denying it. Artemis was now glaring at him for being so stupid in a moment of reencounter. He should be running towards her, lifting her bride style and kissing her while confessing his love. She snorted mockingly because that was just pathetic, she 'aint no fairy tale princess, even if she was wearing the dress.

She was a hunter like them, needed to focus on real problems, saving people in danger, therefore saving Wally from his exile and the mysterious stranger now present. Besides, who said women can't fight? Yep, nice excuse.

Her snort captured both guy's attention. They stared too long for her liking. She was suddenly nervous but easily brushed it off by making them nervous instead. She shifted her weight on her hip placing a hand on it. "Like what you see right guys?" She mentally patted her shoulder, happy to see the flushed faces of the boys.

Wally advanced clumsily towards her trying to ignore the fact he hadn't realized how cute she looked even if she was acting so blatantly. Conner simply looked away and started fidgeting with one of his gloves. "Artemis, why are you here? Did you run away? Go back, now you're not safe."

His eyes captured his concern and caring and she felt her legs weak and her whole badass cool mantle slip. "You are not the boss of me" She pouted crossing her arms and he chastised himself for thinking she couldn't be even cuter.

Conner who had been awkwardly watching them concluded they knew each other and needed privacy. "Uhm… I guess I'm leaving you two alone… got to hunt…?" Rubbing his neck with his hand he turned and disappeared before Artemis and Wally could warn him about the forest.

"He can't be here" Artemis said. "Let's go bring him." But Wally took her words defensively.

"Hey whoa! Why do you care? I'm here for you, after you know, being banished by my own friends and family, rejected by the love of my life, beaten up by my best friend of infancy, and all you do is flirt with other guy I might add you don't even know in front of me!" Red hue overtook his cheeks, jealousy added in the venom of his words as he glared as furiously as he could.

She didn't want to be rude but she felt just amused and slightly flattered that he was so expressive. Her lips were turning upwards in a smile until he added his last words. "I want to go save him and all, but do you care to explain what are you doing here since you clearly don't understand if treated nicely. Besides if you want to find him for your own you have to know he's crazy. He's in love with a fairy." Wally snorted the last part causing Artemis to fist her hands.

'No need to go violent' she repeated in her mind finding self control.

More wind rustled loudly and they had to cover their ears to avoid pain. Then a rough, calloused hand touched Artemis's waist like if it was holding itself to not fly away. When the wind ceased Artemis expected to see the annoying redheaded jealous men but she was met with another face.

A young, probably twenty two year old man was holding with one hand to her waist panting. He was redheaded but not lean as Wally, he seemed more fitter and had a bow across his back. She slapped his hand with a shriek and fell on Wally's chest taking his breath away.

"Wha- is there a forest party here or what! What are you doing here Roy?" Wally yelled annoyed still holding Artemis to his chest and clearly haven't seen the way they guy had held her waist. "Do you know everyone in town Kid" Artemis snarled confused, pushing Wally away. "Wouldn't you want to know?" He replied coolly. "Anyways, Roy?"

The man in the floor shrugged lifting his body to brush away the dust in his clothes. "Just leaving, I've been trapped here a week you know." Now everyone was starting to get less and less incredulous about the tales.

"Just don't go to the stone path" Roy said as he leaped on a branch leaving the couple to battle the night by themselves. After a silence none of them was comfortable with he heard her whisper to him "He has nice arms."

He barred his teeth pretending he hadn't heard nor seen the smirk in Artemis face. The redheaded walked quietly intended on delivering Artemis safe to town even if it endangered his life. His heart still hurt, but it hurt so good. He could say he had loved. Artemis followed head down sorry for making him so uneasy towards her.

"so, aren't you going to ask me how I got here?" He glanced back but returned his gaze to the front.

They weren't this way, always had a topic because they always talked/fought. Unlike Dick, she never knew what to tell him and he was too shy with her. She admired him though.

She was expecting him to keep silence but heard him mutter "I thought it was clear you were following Conner, besides you didn't answer when I asked." She felt the stab of bitterness and pains in his words making her swallow her initial answer.

The crickets chirped in the darkness and Wally spotted some fireflies around." We will camp but at first hour in the morning we return you to town and I go back to exile before Dick goes ninja and tracks you"

It was so cold she felt hurt, worse was she felt that was what he wanted. Tears threatened to spill but she was a tough girl. She was born that way. He stopped and simply told her he would pick sticks to make a fire. She sat in a chopped trunk nearby waiting sadly for her crush, unknowing the real warning of the redheaded archer.

The forest was a puzzle. It rearranged itself at night, the hunter, the archer, and the couple or would be stuck if they stayed the whole night.

AN:FINALS THIS WEEK AND I'M UPDATING! :D YEAAH! SORRY I'M A SNAIL THANKS FOR READING THIS STORY. TELL ME IF YOU LIKE. psdt- listen to Avril Lavigne's song from Alice in Wonderland ;) hint hint.


	5. I miss you

Chapter 4

Dick Grayson glided himself smoothly through the dance floor looking for his girl. The blonde fiery beauty, daughter of his father's best friend, that untamable creature he utterly desired. His blue masked eyes were concentrated on his objective. Finding her.

He needed to give an appropriate introduction to his best friend about his fiancé too. His gaze suddenly rested in a fragile and beautiful black haired woman. She was wearing a cute lilac dress with black shiny flip flops. Wally was talking to her. He was about to approach them when Wally stomped angrily away from her and into their spot; the garden were the old willow tree laid.

His detective instincts kicked in. Wally had spoken to him at noon, saying he wanted to present him a special person too. Could it be Zatanna the girl who he was just talking to? If it was so, why did he leave her alone with that familiar pout he did when he was angry? The sudden urge to know and satisfy his curiosity made him walk towards his ex.

She was now near the fruit punch, gingerly drinking the red beverage while looking for someone nervously. He appeared next to her effectively disturbing the girl to the point she dropped her punch.

Richard chuckled inappropriately before apologizing. He was still immature but for his age he was ok. When the moment passed the usual awkwardness after a breakup settled. "Hey zee, how you've been?" he gave a sheepish smile trying desperately to cut the ice. "Not much happened." She answered shortly obviously still bitter.

Understanding she didn't want to be friends with him anymore he decided to go directly to the motive. He couldn't blame her. He had practically dumped her for her own best friend. "I noticed you were talking to Wally…"

He started trying not to sound squeaky. "So…" she urged him obviously uncomfortable with him. "I was just confused as to why he ran away so angrily." The white skinned female raised a thin eyebrow before telling him what she had informed.

Dick didn't need more clues. He caught up to everything but decided to play dumb, to deny, thinking he had a chance to be wrong. -'He was mad, because I was engaged… to his best friend' his mind was torturing him.

He rushed through the crowd, pushing people aside, too clouded and agitated to care. He ran towards the direction he had seen Wally sped too. But the minute he stepped near their sacred friendship tree he heard his heart chatter as if it was made of glass.

He didn't want to be mad at all, neither knew what beast consumed him to beat his friend to the point of making him pass out. But he couldn't help it. His most valued treasure was pinned underneath another man.

He was starting to feel protective. Betrayal, rage, and love melded up in his sapphire eyes. He had those horrible bad thoughts that had forced him to act. Had they done something? Had he forced her? They looked tidy even with their faces almost touching. The state of their clothes spoke volumes too. He didn't want to go that far to think they had gone any further.

What hurts the most would be the look she gave _him_-the other man. It was like she was suffering for him because she wanted that touch.

That left him like the bad guy? Could it be that in reality she was his best friend's girl? She used to be his? Wind howled in his ears making him tighten his bloodied knuckles trying to cover his ears.

A dark figure moaned disturbed, contorting his sweaty face in discomfort. He kept denying repeating half hearted 'no' every time louder than the other. He sat up startled clutching his bed sheets while cursing slightly.

'Bad dream' he thought sluggishly. His usually smooth black hair was tousled and his cheeks were faintly red. Artemis had disappeared that same morning and he hadn't been sleeping since then. What was the point anyway? Everything was a lie, a trick a freaking act! Wally had always been talking about her. -His Artemis, because the description fit her perfectly but he was too blind to see. He never actually had a chance to be corresponded in love anyway.

His head began to hurt badly. Clutching his temples he gritted his teeth groaning "Shit!"- He saw a slightly younger Zatanna laughing naturally. Her smile was soft and real and her hair shone with his beneath the sun. He wasn't sure of what he felt for her though. The slightly younger version of Richard Grayson was confused, so he ran away from commitment. He still saw the huge sunflowers in the scene fade away.

"You're breaking up with me?"

"NO!-uh- I mean … I'm just not sure of what we have together"

Her crystalline eyes watered as she asked the inevitable question that would send their little romantic fantasy into crumbs "Why?"

"I don't know."

He spoke evenly. She didn't need more words after those. It all echoed in his mind. He was lost.

Where do lost boys like him end up?

Pain invaded his head this time stronger. He placed his forehead on a wall nearby trying to stop the memories. –A tall, sun kissed skin goddess greeted him with the prettiest smile he had ever seen.

The window from the mansion illuminated her golden locks that cascaded perfectly to adorn her nice curves. His vision was still blurry and he was unable to see her eyes. She was standing between his ward Bruce Wayne and said man's best friend, Oliver Queen.

Her hands were crossed in front of her but her stoic face seemed to calculate everything, as if she knew what would happen next. The beautiful woman had pale green dress adorning her exposing her midriff in a teasing way. Thin laces decorated the neck and mid sleeves. He hadn't taken his eyes from her since.

He felt like a kid, suddenly so inferior and immature to the knowledge and years of said female. That didn't mean he didn't know anything about her. He already knew everything in fact. Bruce kept his serious look as he presented her. "Richard, meet your soon to be wife, Artemis Crock."

She gave him now a full face stare. Guilt twisted in his stomach and many more emotions troubled his heart. Gray, all he could see then were stormy gray clouds.

-0-

"You are telling me where you are going!" A petite blue eyed girl cried annoyed and barely concerned. "Richard Grayson don't you dare ignore me!" she was now full yelling at him as he tightened the saddle to his horse.

"She's gone! I need to bring her back or else …" He groaned exasperatedly "Look I don't need to explain myself! You are free to come if you want" His tone denoted how little patience he had left. It had just been two nights. Nights plagued with horrible nightmares and memories each worst than the last.

Zatanna blinked slowly. He rarely lost his temper. Something must have gone wrong. "So where do we start looking?" She said deciding to follow him. "The forest" She didn't looked convinced. First of all why was that his first choice? Choosing a horse she mounted and rode next to the silent male in silence.


	6. Under the Chery Blossom

Chapter 5

Wally would have pestered her; he would have playfully flirted, or maybe just humored her, but he was bitter. Still, he couldn't take his eyes away from her. Somehow in the middle of the night she had snuck by his side when he rolled to his left to make himself comfortable. He woke up by the sight of an unusual cuddling Artemis.

She slumbered silently; his arm draped her around the waist, which was accidental if anyone asked him. She had her back pressed against his chest and both of their legs curled fitting perfectly with the other like two puzzle pieces. They lied in the fresh morning dewed grass. He recalled how mean and rude he was to her but instantly blocked the memory. The moment he saw her running into the forest he panicked, but a certain ticklish feeling wanted him to believe she was there for him. It turned out to be she was following another guy.

Ideas like these drove him crazy, and as stubborn as he was never gave the blonde the chance to talk him out of them.

Wally was lost in thought for a brief minute before noticing the danger of the situation. They had been warned by Roy to leave before night, but it was dawning. He tried to relax his shoulder but found it impossible without waking her. His head rested on one of the trunks he brought for the fire, hers rested on the crook between his neck and the log. His chin could have rested in her head but he pointedly prevented it. He also fought the vile urge to run his hands through her silky locks.

He had never complemented her, nor told her how he thought he had a fetish for her hair. Now, alone, in the silence he could admit properly he still wanted to fight for her.

The blonde resting stirred slightly releasing a soft sound that sounded like a purr. He was frustrated now trying not to tighten the hand that surrounded her. She was being cruel even when asleep. He closed his eyes and pretended he could sleep again. Pretend that the girl his best friend loved wasn't firmly pressed against him, and that he may or may not get her back to him.

-0-

A soft blanket of cherry blossoms covered the figures of two dormant teenagers. They had walked several miles until they lost themselves on a strange, moss covered, stone path. Their horses had stayed at the entrance of the bindweed which leads them to the heaven looking scene they were currently asleep in.

Instead of normal cerulean skies, light pinkish and oranges covered the firmament. The huge pink tree shaded almost all the area of the stone path. Tiny fluorescent lilies, roses, daisies and tulips adorned the flat like hills.

Even the lovely scene couldn't hide the eerie feeling the place gave. The sleeping ebony haired male seemed induced in sleep, he didn't look like he could wake up neither his partner. Whistling wind blew the mantle of rose colored flowers leaving them unprotected.

A lone figure appeared from behind. He had dirt all over his face and clothing. His left foot appeared damaged and he gritted his teeth in pain falling into the soft hills of flowers. This woke up the girl sleeping under the tree.

"Who is there?" She cracked her voice slightly nervous from having just waked up. The man merely glanced into her crystalline blue eyes before groaning again. She then recognized the voice. "C-C-Conner?"

"Zee?" the man asked confused. "What are you doing here?"

The girl was now beside him trying to observe the damage in his tissue. There was sign of infection in a clearly open wound. "I…" Not knowing exactly why she came for she gave Dick's reason "I came looking for Artemis."

The man seemed to flinch at the name. "Could it be a full attitude, temperamental blonde chick?" He said remembering his encounter with her. "That sounds like her." The raven haired girl smirked as she ripped her dress preparing for tending to the hunter. "So, what did this to you?" She said as she walked to a small pond to grab water. When she turned Conner had disappeared.

"He could have said he would leave before I ripped my dress." Zatanna murmured slightly annoyed.

-0-

Dry trees and leaves crunched around the redheaded and the blonde. The girl moaned efficiently startling his partner. He couldn't quite place the sound; it was between pain and sob. This concerned him and decided to wake her up.

She suddenly rose to her knees. She was shocked to see Wally had been the warm fuzzy feeling she had felt through all her nightmare. Cold sweat rolled her temples and Wally found himself, for the first time, speechless.

Then her words brought back his past feelings of bitterness and hate. "I think I- Conner is in trouble, Dick and Zatanna are here … and there's some weird source of magic Wally" We need to save them" Everything burst out of her leaving the redheaded ecstatic.

"Wow…" He tried to calm himself down first lifting his arms as if to make a point. "First of all, there is no such thing as magic. Second, Richard is in his palace worried for you and third I really don't know, maybe you have a crush on Conner or something."

The last part was a little restrained but she didn't seem to care. "Do you always have to be right Kid?" Artemis said impatiently.

"Yep." Wally accentuated the 'p' just to bother her even more. All she wanted was to punch the cheeky smirk out of his face. "You know what, fine… I'll save them myself."

"Fine!" He yelled to stubborn to say he could be wrong. "Good luck trying to find them without me turtle." He yelled but she was too far to hear.

-0-

He had followed her not because he was worried or because he still had feelings towards her. He just wanted to prove his point. She was ahead of him, cheeks flushed from anger, stomping as fast as she could so he could at least leave her alone.

They were so caught up in their silent banter they hadn't noticed they had being following a strange neon stone path. Grass got greener as they neared the bindweed entrance.

They were totally caught off guard when black powder blocked their senses to be surrounded by pitch black.


	7. Omega

**Chapter 6**

**AN:** well hello, I'm here, I'm live I, didn't die. No, I had a massive case of writer block and still have it. So I decided to upload this story. (Because idea popped up.) Actually I always had the idea for this story but after how I started it I didn't know how to actually put the idea in plot. Thanks readers & reviewers. I also expect to finish this in two chapters! pleasee

**Disclaimer:** I never own I don't want to because I believe it is perfect just the way true writers write it. It's all DC, and William Shakespeare's property.

**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Zatanna, Artemis, Richard G, Wally W.

When she was just a girl,

She expected the world

But it flew away from her reach

So she ran away in her sleep

Dreaming paradise, every time she closed her eyes.

-Coldplay

"Artemis? Artemis? You were supposed to wake up by now." A green faced woman said in a high pitch voice. The blonde groaned lifting her delicate frame from what looked like a flower bed. Her vision was starting to blur again but she pressed a hand to her forehead to stabilize her head. Once she gained her sight again she directed her stormy orbs to the tiny green faced creature that knew her name.

Startled by it she crawled backwards until her back was against a tree. "What-uh-who are you?" Artemis stuttered trying to think how she ended up in the middle of a weird girly pink tree, with two guys and her magician friend. "Don't you remember me? But, oh! Hello Megan! You don't know where you are right?"

The girl nodded slowly trying not to panic. One minute she was searching for the exiled man she loved and the next everything had just faded from her memory. Her place in this town didn't seem right. She didn't remember the point of anything in this world. "I'm a fairy!" The green skinned chirped. "You are closer from where you have to be than you think. You just have to remember this isn't what it looks like." The tiny flying person gestured towards Wally, Richard and Zatanna. "And before you ask, I'm Megan. And a quick advice Artemis, Cheshire is a friend you should look for her to get back _home." _Her honey brown eyes darkened (in a way that seemed to be hypnotic even) with the last phrase.

"I was going to ask how you know my name" Artemis said still trying to catch up with what had just been said. The fairy smiled knowingly then disappeared. "I'm sorry I can't tell more" Megan said but her words were lost in the deep wood. "Great, this is starting to feel like a fairytale story." Artemis sighed tiredly. Wally began to stir, his legs stretched and a soft watery glow illuminated him. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles roughly.

Zatanna was waking up as well she had her head in Wally's shoulder (Artemis could care less) and one hand covered her eyes delicately. Wally opened his apple green eyes only to have the raven haired to his face. He blinked once, then again only to mumble a groggy "I love you" Zatanna opened her eyes not removing the hand that covered it. "What?" she yelled echoed by Artemis.

Richard was waking up too, he was upside down and his bangs covered his eyes but the same glow that surrounded Wally surrounded him. Artemis didn't seem to notice anything at all, she seemed troubled and insecure. Richard shot his eyes open, rolling to his right only to look directly at Zatanna.

He closed his eyes like he was deep in thought or with a serious headache. He frowned then smashed his lips with the pale skinned girl. Artemis had her mouth dropping to the ground. Wally reacted first than her and connected a fist square in his best friend's jaw. Standing up between the boys Zatanna tried her best to regain composure and stop them. "What is wrong with you guys?" Wally snarled at Richard who glared furiously.

None of the boys seemed to notice Artemis awkwardly standing below the tree covered in now white petals. "I'm in love with her! I saw her first!" At Wally's comment Zatanna placed her hand on her hip in a 'oh you did not just say that' way. "Well I kissed her first" Dick said proudly pointing with his thumb to himself.

The red headed looked vexed at that statement and proceeded to tackle Richard punching as much as he could. Zatanna was pushed back leaving her alone with a speechless blonde. The blue eyed girl approached Artemis someone would do with a wildcat. "Artemi-" "What just happened? Did you do something?" The gray eyed beauty yelled confused. "I don-" Zatanna tried to talk but was cut off again

"No don't say anything I know! You and your stupid Magic." "What?" "Yes you're Zatanna right? You do the magic tricks and…" Artemis trailed of not sure of what had come out of her mouth. The black haired girl looked disturbed by the revelation. It was a mix of déjà vu, revelation and epiphany. "How do you know that?" "I don't. It just felt right?" "Artemis it's you!" "What?" "You are controlling this, at least this world, you must be dreaming! Now the question is how did we get stuck in your unconscious and somehow brought our consciousness and personality to your subconscious making us believe the story recreated in your dream, and more importantly how did we get here!"

"I- I don't know I feel like you just spoke in ancient Greek." "Okay, try to remember, what has happened until now?" "Well before I got here I dreamt…uh… about Conner!" "Then uh, I appeared here and a fairy… Megan! She said to look for Cheshire!" "Yes, she must be behind this!"

On the background Robin and Wally kept fighting, some squeals were heard here and there but the situation was too serious for the girls to laugh. They still didn't remember their actual lives and they were still stuck in a dream.


End file.
